Raising concerns about suspicious civil legal aid applications
How to report a person you suspect is receiving civil legal aid for which they are not eligible.
Applies to England and Wales
Legal Aid eligibility
You can view the rules about who qualifies for legal aid in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) and regulations.
Lord Chancellor’s guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) (PDF, 625 KB, 61 pages) is also available to help you when determining who qualifies for legal aid.
Further information can be found on the ‘Work out who qualifies for civil legal aid’ guidance page.
Making representations
When investigating your representations we will need:
- the name of the person you suspect is receiving legal aid for which they are not eligible
- any other details of the person e.g. date of birth, address, National Insurance number, legal aid certificate reference number
- an explanation of why you suspect the person is not eligible for legal aid, supported by any evidence that you have e.g. court orders, expert reports, bank statements
In order to disclose your representations to the person receiving legal aid you must consent to the LAA doing one of the following:
- Forwarding a copy of your representations
- Alternatively, paraphrasing your representations without revealing your identity
You can report your concerns anonymously by completing the online Reporting Fraud Form
You can also email Manchester.Representations@justice.gov.uk
Concerns reported by telephone or post may take longer to investigate.
Telephone: 0300 200 20 20, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Postal address:
Representations Team
Legal Aid Agency
Unit B8
Berkley Way
Viking Business Park
Jarrow
NE31 1SF
Our investigation
If you have provided contact details, and are party to the proceedings, we will provide updates throughout the investigation and may be able to advise you of the outcome. We are unable to disclose what information has been considered as part of an investigation.
Counter fraud and investigations work
You should note that different arrangements are in place if you want to report either of the following:
- a person you suspect is receiving criminal legal aid for which they are not eligible
- fraud by solicitors, barristers or third-party experts carrying out both civil and criminal legal aid work
In these circumstances, you will need to contact the Counter Fraud and Investigations Team